LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Freshman Kaitlyn Menz led the No. 21 Wisconsin softball team to its 12th-consecutive victory, throwing a no-hitter in the Badgers' 10-1 defeat of Louisville on Wednesday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.

With the 10th no-hitter in program history, Menz becomes only the second UW freshman to hold an opponent to no hits. The last Wisconsin no-hitter was March 20, 2014 when Cassandra Darrah led UW to an 8-0 victory over Detroit.

The Badgers (21-2 overall) closed out the non-conference season with a bang against the Cardinals (18-8), recording 11 hits and scoring nine of their 10 runs in the final two innings.

The Badgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when sophomore Kelly Welsh reached on a fielder's choice and scored sophomore McKenna Heim, but Louisville knotted the game at one apiece before Wisconsin ended the second inning.

With the game tied at 1-1, the Badgers began their offensive onslaught in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Melanie Cross and junior Brianna Flugaur each singled to put two Badgers on base before sophomore Kelsey Jenkins walked to juice the bases up for senior Chloe Miller. Miller singled to the right side, then advanced to second on the throw, scoring Cross and Flugaur for a 3-1 advantage.

UW immediately pulled in two more runs, as junior Brooke Wyderski singled with a bunt to bring in Jenkins and senior Sara Novak followed with a sac fly to bring home Miller, giving Wisconsin a 5-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.

The four-run lead wasn't enough for the Badgers though, as they scored five more runs in the fifth inning to clinch the 10-1 run rule victory. UW quickly put three runners on base after rookie Jordan Little led off with a single to left, then Welsh reached base on an error and Flugaur was walked.

Jenkins singled up the middle to score Little before Miller stepped up and sent a single to right field for her third and fourth RBI of the game, scoring Welsh and Flugaur for an 8-1 lead. A sacrifice fly from Wyderski brought home Jenkins while a Novak single scored Miller to close out the five-run inning and a 10-1 Badgers' advantage.
 
Notes to Know:
-Kaitlyn Menz faced 20 batters on her way to the 10th no-hitting in program history. Menz becomes the seventh Wisconsin pitcher, and only the second UW freshman, to achieve the accomplishment.
-Chloe Miller went 3-for-4 at bat against the Cardinals, extending her 12 game hitting streak. With her team-leading four runs batted in against Louisville, Miller has recorded four RBI in four of the last six games and has multiple RBI in six of her last seven games.
-Brooke Wyderski extended her own hitting streak as well, going 2-for-3 at the plate for hits in five consecutive games. Wyderski recorded two RBI against the Cardinals, as well as a game-high four assists.
-Miller, Kelsey Jenkins and Brianna Flugaur shared game-high honors, each recording two runs.
-Sara Novak recorded two RBI against Louisville, marking her third consecutive game with multiple RBI.
-It was the first no-hitter against Louisville since March 25, 2006 against Michigan. It was just the fourth no-hitter against the Cardinals in their program history.
 
Details from the Dugout:
"It was super awesome for not only myself but the team. I think it gives us a lot of confidence going into Northwestern this weekend. It was awesome to have my defense behind me, Bri (Flugaur) with some clutch catches and Brooke and KJ turning a double play in the middle.

"It does give me a lot of confidence knowing that I can do it as a freshman. It's an awesome feeling."
-Freshman Kaitlyn Menz

"You know it's funny because she was frustrated that she wasn't having her best game. She couldn't put the ball where she wanted to all day. She just battled through and that's what I'm most proud of. I honestly didn't know it was a no-hitter until the very end because we had a lot of walks and they had a lot of runners on base. It was by no means an easy no-hitter but you have to give credit to the offense for putting those runs up and ending it in five. I think the teams plays really hard behind her, they love playing for her.

"I think Brooke (Wyderski) has made so many improvements. She had a lot of holes in her swing early on and she has worked at it. I'm really proud of her, she's playing hard and has been really effective for us. She's playing great defense and had a couple of really great plays today. She had two defensive stops on a tough ground ball and line drive over her head. I was joking with her to be not just a great defensive player and she must've been listening!

"I have so much respect for Louisville because we've matched up with them so many times and they're just a dominant ACC team. They're always at the top of their conference and they win it a lot. They have a 13-year NCAA tournament streak. Our team wants to become that kind of powerhouse and we know that to become that kind of team you have to chip away and play those kind of teams. To face a team like this at their home is tough and we knew they were 10-1 at home and have a lot of home games in already."
-UW head coach Yvette Healy
 
Up Next:
The Badgers open Big Ten Conference play on the road, traveling to Northwestern for a three-game series March 24-26. First pitch against the Wildcats is set for 4 p.m. on Friday.